


Pining and Cones

by MostFacinorous



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Boners, Cluelessness, M/M, Pining, erotic eating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-25 05:28:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14371911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MostFacinorous/pseuds/MostFacinorous
Summary: Things are settling down, after everything.That doesn't mean life isn't still hard, especially when you live in close proximity with your crush.





	Pining and Cones

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lena7142](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lena7142/gifts).



He knocked, not sure he’d be welcomed, but he figured it only hurt a little to try. 

 

The Captain opened the door, expression cross enough to make him reconsider. 

“Ah-- I was going to ask if you were busy, but… if I’ve come at a bad time, I can leave you to it?”

Rogers blinked, and Loki wasn’t entirely certain what he’d been expecting when he answered-- he just knew that he wasn’t it. 

 

“No, I--” Rogers sighed and rubbed his forehead, making a valiant effort to smooth away signs of his irritation. “Sorry, did you need something? Is everything alright?” 

 

And Loki couldn’t help but feel foolish, now, for his very presence. 

“I was… thinking of going for a walk, actually. Thor came back yesterday from a similar outing with Jane, raving about ice cream, and I thought--” He shrugged, willing his face not to color. “You seem to know the area best, but again-- if it is a bad time, I am certain I can find ice cream on my own. I did not mean to trouble you.” 

Rogers glanced backward into his room, no doubt at the source of his frustrations, though Loki had no idea what that might be. 

 

“I’m sure Tony keeps plenty of ice cream in his freezer--” He began, and Loki quickly pasted a smile onto his face, ready to disengage as gracefully as possible, when Rogers went on. 

“But I could use the break, and the fresh air. Besides, if this is the first time you have it, we’ve gotta get you some good soft serve. Let me grab a coat.” 

 

Loki stood, smile somewhat more real and fond than it had been, despite the awkwardness of being left in front of Rogers’s door for the minute or so it took him to gather the things he needed for their outing.

 

As they made their way out of the building, Rogers asked, “So. How’s the settling in process going? I haven’t seen much of you this week.” 

 

It was true; they’d been busy after everything, and… and perhaps that was the real reason Loki had gone to Rogers’s room that day. 

“It goes well. All of Asgardia is officially documented. We have become official holders of that patch of territory, in return for compulsory service for one year out of every fifty for each Asgardian of able body. Which is hardly a hardship for us; the majority of Thor’s people seem interested in your armed forces. Surprising no one.” 

He moved his hands into the pockets of his blazer. 

“All in all, our people are secure, Thor is speaking of settling down with Jane… everything is going as smoothly as one could hope.” He shrugged. 

 

Rogers was looking at him askance, and Loki crooked a brow. 

“Sorry, you just. You don’t sound very happy about it.” He looked almost embarrassed to say as much.

Loki laughed drily. 

 

“Says the man who looked as though he might strike me when he opened the door.” He kept the words light. 

“No assignments again, Captain?” He asked, though he knew it was a sore spot-- it was easier to antagonize than make himself vulnerable. 

To his surprise, though, Steve laughed. 

“Yeah, well, I guess we have the same problem, huh? It’s hard to know what to do with yourself when you aren’t needed.” 

 

Loki stared at him, then shook his head. 

“Harder still to know that when you are, there will be entirely too much work. All of which is pressing, and top priority, and time sensitive, and vital-” He broke off, huffing out a breath. 

 

“Well, when it rains it pours. Guess now’s a good time to appreciate the calm before the storm, hey?” Rogers didn’t sound particularly pleased about the prospect, but Loki couldn’t blame him. 

 

“Calm or no, the only thing I want to appreciate at the moment is the company and the sugary offerings of Midgard.” He said decisively, and Rogers laughed at that. 

 

He guided them down the street towards a small shop with glowing red wiring mounted to the wall that proclaimed they’d just been creamed. 

Rogers frowned at it, but Loki was already looking in delight at the listed flavors. 

 

“What are you getting?” he asked, and Rogers turned his eyes upwards, the motion baring his throat and forcing Loki to swallow convulsively, before turning his eyes back to the menu. 

 

“They’ve got a strawberry cheesecake. That sounds pretty good. Do you see anything you’d like?” He asked, and Loki blinked. 

_ If you had any idea… _ he thought, but shook himself. 

“The quadruple chocolate challenge sounds both delightful and unwise. I think I want that.”

 

The Captain grinned at him, and he felt his stomach flip. 

“And as I’ve invited you out, I will be buying. I insist.” he said, gesturing that Rogers ought to go first.

It would at least get him to stop staring at his handsome face. 

Loki was well aware how well and truly hopeless he was; how unreturned his interest and attentions were, and how unattainable the man himself was. And yet, still, there was something wonderful about this- just being his friend, being near him. 

He wondered if Rogers would find it uncomfortable, if he knew-- if their time together would be sullied in his mind. 

Probably. 

 

That just meant that Loki would have to be extra certain not to let him realize. 

 

He realized that they were waiting for his order, that the Captain had turned and was looking at him, and he cleared his throat, embarrassed. 

“Sorry, I was stricken by indecision. But I think-- the chocolate challenge, please. Served however he got his.” He gestured at Rogers, and proudly pulled out his Stark industries card, passing it to the woman behind the counter. She handed the receipt back to him with a smile, and a few moments later, Rogers was handing Loki a towering cone full of ice cream. 

 

“Do you want to sit and eat, or would you rather walk?” He asked, and Loki eyed the already dribbly substance critically. 

 

“Perhaps...let’s sit. Just for now, until I have learned about the structural integrity of this dessert first.”

Rogers beamed again, and laughed, and Loki found himself smiling dumbly in response.

 

“No, you’re right. Good call. Here--” He led the way to a table and handed Loki a handful of napkins. “We’re probably going to need those. So. Ice cream is frozen, and the warmer it gets, the more it melts. So the trick is to eat it fast enough that you don’t end up drinking it, but not so fast that you get brain freeze.”

 

Loki paid attention the best he could, but Rogers was taking-- he couldn’t even call it ‘bites’ of Ice cream between his words. He was opening his mouth, sucking on it, lipping at it, and then licking his lips in a way that should not have been as arousing as it was, and certainly should not be as distracting as Loki was allowing it to be. Not when his own ice cream was being neglected because of it. 

So he followed suit, sucking off some of the sugary cold gloop and swallowing. 

It was good. As sweet as he could have hoped, and then some, and the chunks that were in it-- they had sprinkled some form of baked goods on top. 

Loki was as close to Midgardian heaven as he was likely to come. 

 

“How is it?” Rogers asked. 

 

“Decadent.” Loki replied, grateful at least that the coolness of the treat was letting the heat of his arousal fade a bit. 

 

“Mm.” Rogers hummed around his next bite, and Loki hurriedly took another, closing his eyes as he did, so that he would not have to watch the way Rogers had begun shaping the ice cream with the flat of his tongue. 

 

Still, he had to open them sometime, and when he did, he felt a jolt at the way Rogers was staring him in the eyes. 

“You feeling okay?” He asked, the very picture of innocence, and Loki cleared his throat again 

 

“I am. Sorry-- it’s just-- it’s very good.” It sounded like a poor excuse, even to him, but Rogers smiled again and looked back down at his own dessert, so it must have been fine. 

 

Loki tried to keep his eyes away from Rogers for the rest of the time they spent eating, and did his best to hurry through it, despite the threat of brainfreeze. 

Fortunately, he didn’t think he experienced it-- by the time he had reached as far into the cone as he could, he felt as though his internal temperature had evened out somewhat, and his partial erection had waned enough that walking back to the tower would not be an issue. 

 

Rogers had gone quiet again, but as they began the walk back-- a little cooler now than it had been, thanks to the lateness, and maybe a little due to Loki’s unseasonable taste in snacks, the talk started back up. 

Nothing pressing, or difficult, nothing too heavy. 

 

But it carried them back to the tower, pleasant and easy. Until they stood in the elevator, moments away from parting. Rogers’s floor would come first, and then Loki would continue on, up to his room, to lay on his bed and groan in frustration. 

 

“Thanks for inviting me out.” Rogers said, and Loki nodded. 

 

“My pleasure-- thank you for coming along, in spite of your mood.” 

 

Rogers lifted one shoulder. 

“What can I say? You have a way of making that better. Let’s do this again soon, alright?” 

 

Loki couldn’t stop the blush this time, he was sure, but he smiled widely just the same.

“I shall hold you to that.” 

He promised. 

 

\---

Steve shut the door behind himself and ran a hand through his hair, before burying his face in both hands. 

“Oh god.” He groaned. 

 

“No good?” Nat asked, and Steve jumped. 

 

She was sitting at his desk, toying with his tablet. 

“You uh, forgot to hang up before you went on your date.” 

 

Steve groaned again.

“It wasn’t-- I don’t think he, uh.” Steve coughed, uncomfortable. “I did like you said, tried to put on a show but. He just looked… uncomfortable? And then he wouldn’t look at me.”

He rubbed his hand across his forehead. 

“I think I should stop trying.” 

 

Natasha raised an eyebrow. 

“Trust me, you don’t share a wall with the guy, but I do. And I can tell you that five minutes from now, I’m really not gonna wanna be up there. He’s not exactly quiet.” 

 

Steve didn’t think he’d ever felt his face get that red that fast before. 

 

“What do I _do_?” He groaned, half wishing he _did_ share a wall with Loki, and half appalled at himself for wanting to. 

 

Natasha sighed and stood. 

“I dunno. You’ve already ruled out talking to him and writing him a note. Maybe I’ll ask Thor to introduce him to lollipops next.” 

 

Steve grabbed one of the decorative pillows off of his couch and tossed it at her, but she caught it without so much as blinking. 

 

“Up to you. I’m going to go hit the gym for a bit-- you’re welcome to meet me there, if you wanna work him out that way. Otherwise, Stark’s guys came in and replaced the cracked tile while you were gone. Be nicer to your shower, hmm?” She raised her eyebrows and wiggled her fingers, then left.

 

Steve buried his face in his hands again and let her go, secretly glad that at least he wasn’t trying to fumble his way through these muddled emotions on his own. He could only imagine how Loki must be doing--

And actually, now that he  _ was _ imagining how Loki was doing--

Maybe the shower wasn’t such a bad call. 


End file.
